Palm Wine!

The Birth Of A Movement

May 23, 2012

By Osazeme O, founding member of Palm Wine

When discussing LGBTQ human rights on the African continent, the argument typically falls somewhere along the spectrum of sentiments expressed, on one end, by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, a vanguard for women’s rights, who claims that she is unwilling to sign any law that would defend and uphold the human rights and dignity of the LGBTQ citizens in Liberia. Meanwhile, on the other end, Festus Mogae, former president of Botswana, strongly encourages his nation to pass legislation to protect all citizens, including sexual minorities, by creating an environment that does not condone hatred and discrimination, but promotes the inalienable human rights and dignity of all Botswana’s people.

On May 9, 2012, President Obama vocalized and affirmed a truth that many of us already know and live from day-to-day:  that same sex couples deserve equal rights and fairness under the law.  In a similar vein, Wole Soyinka, world-renowned Nigerian playwright, signed a petition against Nigeria’s law sentencing same sex couples to fourteen years of imprisonment.

 

What we are witnessing today on the African continent is widespread socio-political action to secure truths affirmed by the above-mentioned individuals and that many Africans hold dear.  Across much of Africa, homosexuality is labelled “a sin,” ” a Western import,” and “unAfrican.”  The killing of outspoken LGBTQ activist David Kato in Uganda was one of many stories that often aid in the suppression of voices around the subject matter.  South Africa has the most progressive laws on the continent regarding same-sex individuals and lifestyles, but it looks like this may soon change, forcing many back into silence and fear. Yet, in the face of these oppressions, African activists at home and abroad continue to fight for a future that is grounded in the power of love and transformation.

Like all great movements, the Palm Wine story begins in struggle. Like many great movements, for Palm Wine the greatest struggle has been against self-doubt and the innate fear that causes many to remain silent. But as Audre Lorde says, “our silences won’t protect us.” So we stand up and speak to break the silences we are meant to keep. We do this to reclaim our power. We do this to transform the culture of hate and fear. We do this so that our present and future generations can lead lives that acknowledge that human rights are indeed inalienable and dignity is our birthright.

In early December 2011, a few individuals of what is now Palm Wine were compelled to overcome their personal fears and break the proverbial silence to take a stand for LGBTQ human rights in Nigeria. Protesting the proposed laws that seek to impose greater punishment on sexual minorities in our home country was an altogether definitive, death-defying, and at times dubious moment. This complicated act of showing up in the face of adversity is what birthed the Palm Wine movement. Shortly after the protest in front of Nigeria House NYC, a few individuals decided that it was time we organize on behalf of our Nigerian (and larger African) community members who  on punishment of death must maintain the silence around who they are and how they love. Even as we move forward in this effort, it is encouraging to note that President Joyce Banda of Malawi, also a champion of women’s rights, has vowed to overturn anti-gay laws in her country “as a matter of urgency.”

Presently, Palm Wine primarily operates as an online entity creating a safe space where LGBTQ Africans can share their stories and receive support across borders. The group’s basic motivation is to highlight the shared humanity of African LGBTQ persons, in the hopes that we can begin to break down the stigma resulting from ignorance and fear. As the group develops, we will move towards a model of community engagement and greater activism. As such the Palm Wine mandate simply states:

We are LGBTQ Nigerians who believe that human rights and dignity are our birthrights. We have created a space to collect and document our individual and shared stories in the hope that we can build authentic relationships with ourselves and each other, heal from our generational cycles and patterns of isolation and oppression and envision a future that embraces us all.

The Palm Wine movement acknowledges the apparatus of fear at work, and we are intentionally powering through it to create the change we seek. So, with this foundation of shared humanity and compassion we were provoked to organize and take action on behalf of our sister in the struggle, Zanele Muholi.

Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi is a renowned visual activist whose work has been at the forefront of breaking the silence around the scourge of “corrective rape” and hate crimes against lesbians in South Africa. Her work also serves to bring visibility to the depths of humanity, love, and struggle shared amongst black lesbians in her country (and indeed across the continent). The loss of her archived works is a loss for the community at large. The violators seek to undo Zanele’s work by instilling a sense of crippling fear that could trigger a silence tainted with profound pain.  Thankfully they have not succeeded; the living legacy of her work is evident through the comments scores of people have left on the Indiegogo campaign we set up to help replace some of her stolen equipment.

Zanele Muholi remains vigilant and strong in continuing her activist work.  She will be showing in this year’s ‘Documenta’ in Kassel, Germany, a major international visual art exhibition featuring many of the world’s leading artists.  Palm Wine supports her courageous efforts and would like to use this as an opportunity to encourage LGBTQ Africans and our allies to engage with us. Push beyond the fear, break the crippling silence, and share your humanity and your stories with us. Palm Wine offers a safe space for healing and activism and accommodates all African peoples. We invite you to support our community and join in the movement.

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Osazeme O. is a British-Nigerian, South-African-bred food interlocutor, who thinks in the language and poetry of food. She is the head chef and owner of Khandja Kalabash a Harlem based boutique culinary firm, specialising in afro-fusion cooking and the preservation, appreciation and proliferation of African culinary practices & cuisines. She hopes to queer the African Culinary Experience by combining traditional and contemporary methods and ingredients to introduce new dimensions of flavour to African cuisine. She believes that food is connected to every essential part of the human experience, and is a candid way of expressing LOVE. In the battle against homophobia, bigotry and racism, cuisine is her tool of choice!

Food For Thought //

The Rural Women

#Solar Engineers of Africa

01 March 2012

Published in Food for thought

Nina Simone's Biopic

Moving Full Speed;

Screenwriter Talks

Zoe Saldana, Love Story

& Challenges

by Vanessa Martinez

August 25, 2012

 

 

I just found this interview with Cynthia Mort, screenwriter of the upcoming Nina Simone biopic, which has been the focus on several of our posts in the past two weeks.

We know the Simone film, a love story between the late icon and her nurse turned manager Clifton Henderson and starring Zoe Saldana and David Oyelowo in the respective roles, begins shooting in mid October.

According to this Entertainment Weekly interview, filming will take place off the Lost Angeles and Santa Barbara coasts, which will represent the south of France, where Simone spent her later years, from the early 1990's until her passing at age 70 in 2002.

Many of us have been questioning if the response to the film by Nina Simone's daughter will slow down, or halt the production of this project altogether. To recap, Simone's daughter and owner of her estate said that although she spoke to Mort in one occasion, she wasn't consulted for the making of the biopic; further attempts to contribute to the film were ingored by the filmmakers.

Well to the chagrin of many, the project is moving full speed. Mort, who co-wrote 2007 revenge thriller The Brave One, says that recreating the musician's life on film is "a beautiful genre, if you do it right, and capture the essence of that person.”

And, that sounds wonderful, but what about her daughter's remarks, who says relationship between her mother and her homosexual assistant Clifton was strictly platonic? We know Mort's script is a love story between Simone and the much younger man (If you missed my breakdown of the script, read it HERE).

Well Mort says that Oyelowo’s character is a “composite of people,” and adds that, “Without sounding ridiculous, the love story is between Nina and her journey, like most artists. The male nurse character is used to show some incredible moments in her life.”

As far as Simone's daughter, Mort says that she has spoken to her but “Any creative decision is difficult," adding that, “It’s complicated. It’s her mother. I’m a mother and a daughter. I feel very strong about it in every way. I feel like we’re honoring her, Nina Simone.”

What does that mean exactly? Well, she obviously admits she took creative liberties, and that her script is inspired by Simone's life not based on it. I really hope she makes that clear in the film's marketing materials.

Mort says the romantic storyline of the film is a way to explore Simone's life. Perhaps she felt that a passionate romance was a more gripping way to humanize her character. So, sex sells no surprise here folks!

And what does Mort say about the mis-casting of Zoe Saldana?? She feels that her natural beauty along with her musical side are a great fit. “I think it’s a big role for anybody. Nina Simone was large, in many ways. She’s iconic and brilliant and talented,” She adds that she finds Zoe "incredibly compelling," and that "she has a lot of great qualities.”

And for those of us who wonder why is Mort, better known for her writing gigs in TV's Roseanne and Will & Grace, involved in this Nina Simone project; apparently Mort, a long time fan of the High Priestess of Soul, assisted Simone on a photo shoot in the mid 90's at Simone's then Hollywood apartment.

Mort also addressed the challenges to securing the song rights, which I'm surprised she was able to do. “Getting the song rights is complicated,” said Mort, who also says Nina's guitarist Al Schackman has been "incrediby supportive" of the movie. “With an artist like Nina, it’s scattered. We have secured the rights to a number of songs."

Like I mentioned previously, production is well underway. Mort says that the costumes and jewelry to be worn by Saldana are "unreal." Designed by Magali Guidasci (Zombieland), the screenwriter says they are going to be "insane and fantastic,” she adds, “It’s a big part of the music, also because it’s original. What Nina wore is not what anyone else could wear.”

At this point, I only hope Mort and the filmmakers are honest about making it very clear that this project is a recreation of Simone's later life and only inspired by it.

__________________________

The Frost Place

Dartmouth Poet-in-Residence Award

Deadline:

December 31, 2012

Entry Fee: 

$25

Website: 

http://www.frostplace.org

E-mail address: 

frost@frostplace.org

A prize of $2,000 and a six- to eight-week residency at Robert Frost’s former home in Franconia, New Hampshire, is given annually to a poet who has published at least one poetry collection. An additional $1,000 is given to the winner for participation in a regional reading series. Submit four copies of five poems from the most recent book, a résumé, a personal statement, and contact information for two references with a $25 entry fee by October 1. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the website for complete guidelines.

The Frost Place, Dartmouth Poet-in-Residence Award, P.O. Box 74, Franconia, NH 03580. (603) 823-5510. Sue Jessen, Contact. 

AJB Translation Series

Alice James Books will be accepting queries for the AJB Translation Series―to be reviewed by the Translation Committee―between the months of September and March only. Queries sent outside of the reading period will not be answered.

All manuscripts must be complete at the time of query submission.

Queries must consist of the following:

• A letter detailing the project, its impact/relevance to our literary community, and information about the poet and translator(s).

• A ten poem sample of the translations, including the original-language text.

• Name, address, email and phone number for the person submitting the query.

Response time for all inquiries is between 5-6 months, during which time the Translation Committee will review queries and make recommendations to the entire cooperative board for their further review. AJB will appreciate if you refrain from making inquiries regarding your manuscript during this time and thanks you for your patience with our process. If your manuscript is selected by another press for publication while under our review, we ask that you kindly notify us as soon as possible.

Queries should be submitted online or in hardcopy.  Mail hard copy queries to: ATTN: AJB Translation Series Committee, Alice James Books, 238 Main Street, Farmington, ME 04938. Click here to submit your query online (.PDF files only).

There is no reading fee.

For acknowledgement of receipt of your hardcopy query, please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard. Regrettably, translation queries and query manuscripts submitted to Alice James Books cannot be returned, so please do not send your only copy. U.S. Postal Service Delivery Confirmation Receipt on package is strongly recommended.

 

 

 

Six-Word Story Guidelines

 

William Faulkner famously said that a novelist is a failed short story writer, and a short story writer is a failed poet. Hemingway, with his creation of the six-word story, combined poetry and drama into a short form that has grown in popularity while remaining difficult to achieve. Narrative is looking for six-word stories that can stand alongside the best that have been written. Here are a few:

For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn. —Ernest Hemingway

 

Longed for him. Got him. Shit. —Margaret Atwood

 

All those pages in the fire. —Janet Burroway

 

First sex. I came. She didn’t. —Sherman Alexie

We welcome submissions of original, previously unpublished six-word stories for publication in Narrative and on our iPhone Application.

 

Click here to submit your six-word story.

 

 

The guidelines are as follows:

 

A Six-Word Story should provide a movement of conflict, action, and resolution that gives the sense of a complete story transpiring in a moment’s reading.

 

Payment: We pay $50 for each six-word story accepted for publication. You may send up to five stories in a single submission.

 

 

Submission Fee: There is a $15 fee for each submission. And with your submission, you’ll receive three months of complimentary access to Narrative Backstage.

 

Formatting Your Manuscript: Your manuscripts should be in 12-point type, with at least one-inch margins, and double-spaced. Your name, address, telephone number, and email address should be typed at the top of the first page. You may also include a brief biographical note with your submission.

 

Click here to submit your Six-Word Story.

 

Other Submission Categories: In addition to the iStory category, please review our other Submission Categories for areas that may be right for your work.

'Beasts of the Southern Wild'

Making of Demonstrates

the Benefits of

Collective Filmmaking

Mar Belle

08.18.12

 

If like me you’re drawn to films which experiment with narrative form, presenting strong characters making their way in worlds that are slightly off kilter from our own, then I’m betting you also have Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild pretty high on your must watch list. Following the film’s Sundance premiere (where it won the Narrative Grand Jury Prize and Best Cinematography) and Camera d’Or Cannes screening, the project has drawn accolades for both its story and six-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis’ central performance. Here’s a taste of the Beasts’ world in the trailer:

A limited release indie film project to get excited about is all well and good, but of much more interest is the means of its production. Created by Court 13 a self proclaimed ever growing Independent Filmmaking Army based in New Orleans, their collective approach to production seems to be the antithesis of creation by committee for which Hollywood is sometimes lambasted, but rather a demonstration of filmmaking as performed by community.

We took a look at Beasts of the Southern Wild from a script evolution perspective last month, but a few days ago The Creators Project released a making of video which highlights not just the normal challenges the production overcame in getting the film made, but also the inclusive philosophy behind Court 13′s filmmaking and how they transferred their working methods of living the extremes of the stories they depict from shorts to their first feature:

The Beasts of the Southern Wild budget reportedly sits somewhere between $1-2 million sourced from various sources. However with New York non-profit foundation Cinereach picking up the majority of the tab ($1.3 million) after being impressed with Zeitlin’s 2008 short Glory At Sea!, the production found itself also classified as a non-profit which brought its own freedoms such as full casting control, an up to two year editing period and final cut for Zeitlin:

Profits are going to go back into other movies, which is pretty incredibly,” said Zeitlin. “If the movie does well, the actors and filmmakers have points, but as far as the production company goes, the money is going to get turned over and put into more projects like this one.” He adds, “There was no fiscal motivation for production decisions, which allowed us to cast non-actors and do this in the grassroots way that we did.

Do you see Court 13′s ‘all inclusive’ approach to filmmaking as sustainable over the long term? Is this a way you’ve worked on your own projects?

Links:
Beast of the Southern Wild
Court 13
Vulture

[Via The Creators Project]